Interlude 10: Kith and Kin
by Interlude2005
Summary: Sometimes the past can change the future. Final story.


Title: Kith and Kin

Author/Email: Fairygnomes (fairygnomes (at) gmail . com)

Rating: 13+

Category: Angst, Drama, Sam/Jack Relationship/Friendship

Season/Sequel: Set between season eight and nine, 6th in the Interlude Series

Spoilers: Everything up to the end of S8

Archive: SJA, Heliopolis, GateWorld, Novel Archive.

Summary: Sometimes the past changes the future.

Disclaimer: Not mine, we're just bored between seasons. We're putting them back now.

Author's Notes: The biggest ever thank you to Jo and Ruth for writing this series with me. We did it! And thanks to Allie and Jo for all their support and encouragement. I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to beta this one, I only finished it five minutes ago!

* * *

Jack was drunk.

"I'm drunk," he told Sam as he plunked himself down beside her.

"Yes you are," she replied, trying to keep the worry from her voice. She'd never seen Jack drunk before. Certainly, he liked a beer or two but he never let it get the better of him. He always stayed in control.

This had been a bad idea. It had been one of Jack's and no one had had the heart to disagree. The truth was, since his return, they'd all been stepping around him rather carefully. When he'd suggested they all transport up to Thor's ship to hold a wake for his computer generated self, Sam had hoped it would be a chance for them to re-establish their team bond, now she wasn't so sure. Jack seemed intent on drowning his sorrows. Thor watched curiously, no doubt wondering why humans chose to put this poison into their bodies.

"Thor buddy!" Jack shouted.

He pulled himself away from Sam and staggered over to the alien. Sam glanced across at Daniel, who shrugged. They were asking themselves the same question. Had Jack really come to terms with everything that had happened to him? Sam's worries ran a little deeper. Would he ever stop blaming her?

"Thor… there's something I have to tell you," he said.

"Yes O'Neill," Thor replied.

"I love you."

The alien blinked but Jack's attention had rapidly switched to Daniel.

"And you… and you. I love you too."

He lurched over to Daniel's side and draped his arm around him.

"Do you know how cute you look without your glasses?" he asked.

"Thanks Jack," Daniel said with a nervous smile.

Jack opened another beer and looked closely at Teal'c's chest.

"T… I can see your nipples."

"O'Neill, I believe you have consumed sufficient quantity of this beverage," Teal'c warned.

"I don't love you!" Jack snapped back and defiantly downed the bottle in one. Then he belched.

"You are so attractive right now," Sam muttered.

They had to get him home before he caused an intergalactic incident… or tried to have Thor's babies. She signalled to Daniel and Teal'c and the two men grabbed their friend's arms. He struggled for a few moments and then he slumped forward.

"Send us back, Thor," Sam requested.

"To the SGC?" Thor asked.

"Jack's house would be better," Daniel recommended.

He was right. It wouldn't do Jack any good for his subordinates to see him in this condition.

"Will O'Neill be well?" the alien questioned.

"Nothing coffee and a cold shower won't solve… and maybe some aspirin," Sam reassured him.

"This is a very strange tradition… even for humans."

"Yeah well… you should have seen him at Daniel's first wake. He trashed the General's car so I think you got lucky."

At least being drunk didn't seem to make Jack overly aggressive.

Sam nodded to Thor and the next thing she knew they were all standing in Jack's bedroom. Daniel and Teal'c immediately let go, allowing their friend to drop onto the bed. Jack lay there unmoving.

"Should we call a doctor?" Teal'c ventured.

"He'll be okay," Daniel said.

"Help me," Sam said as she started to take of his shoes.

Between them, they managed to get Jack undressed and into bed. He didn't hinder them, but manoeuvring a man of his height wasn't easy, especially when he was a dead weight.

Sam wasn't quite certain when he had passed out… or if he was just pretending.

"You guys might as well go," she told Daniel and Teal'c once they had Jack settled.

"Are you sure?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah. I'll keep an eye on him."

She hoped he'd just sleep it off, but some sixth sense made her crash on the couch, rather than taking the guest room. It was 3AM when she heard him. His footsteps were uncertain. He stumbled a little on the steps and Sam found herself holding her breath. She didn't speak, waiting to see what he'd do.

He went straight for the liquor cabinet.

It was doubtful he even saw Sam as he pulled out the bottle of single malt. He carried it carefully up the steps and disappeared. Sam threw off the rug she had covering her and followed. She wasn't quite sure what she could do.

Jack hadn't gone any further than the kitchen. Sam paused and watched him from the doorway. With shaking hands, he opened the scotch and poured it straight down the sink.

He stood there for a long time, head bowed, his hands braced on the counter. Sam knew better than to speak immediately. Even after all this time, he didn't like to appear vulnerable before her… before anyone… although she suspected Daniel might be the exception to that rule.

Slowly, carefully, she started to move away.

"Sam?"

She froze and then realised there was no point in pretending.

"I'm here," she replied.

"Did I make a complete ass of myself?"

"Pretty much. Thor may not be naming any ships after you any time soon."

"It was getting embarrassing anyway."

"Jack…"

She didn't want him to try to joke his way out of this.

"I know… I know…" he said.

Jack's voice betrayed his anger and Sam hoped he was just annoyed with himself. He wasn't looking at her so it difficult to tell.

"How long?" she asked.

"What?"

"The drinking."

"It was just tonight."

"Really?"

"Do you think I'd go on duty half cut?"

"No!"

"Sure?"

Then Sam realised she'd have to tell the truth. She wasn't sure. She wasn't sure about anything where Jack was concerned. The man she thought she knew had disappeared under layers of pain and doubt… and it was all her fault. Sam turned away, knowing the best thing she could do was get out of there. She had one hand on the front door before Jack stopped her. He pulled her close.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he whispered. "Please don't go."

"If you're going to say 'it's not you it's me…'" Sam began.

"God no!"

"Then you just need some time."

"Carter!"

The use of her last name pulled Sam up short. Her body snapped to attention, which was impressive give the fact Jack still had his arms about her. With effort, she allowed her body to relax.

"Losing you is the last thing I want," he said.

"Then what?" she asked.

"I don't know."

* * *

That much at least was the truth. Jack honestly didn't know what he wanted. It was time for a change. However good their intentions, he knew that he and Sam couldn't carry on this way. Their relationship was neither one thing nor the other. He wanted more from her. There was no point in denying it.

An old movie was playing quietly on the TV and the flickering pictures were the only illumination in the quiet room. Jack watched as Katherine Hepburn kissed Humphrey Bogart…

Looking at Sam now, curled up on the couch next to him, her head in his lap. Jack realised he'd do anything to be with her…. Even leave the SGC.

Leave the SGC.

A revelation, it had everything to do with him and nothing to do with Sam… or her evil twin.

He needed some time away from the SGC. He need some time to get his head together, some place where he wasn't expected to risk his live every day, where he didn't have to send the people he cared about to their deaths. Maybe he was a coward but he couldn't see any other way. If he no longer trusted himself then he couldn't expect others to do the same.

Gently, he slid out from under Sam and headed towards his bedroom to find the phone.

"Son, do you know what time it is?" The voice on the other end asked him.

"5 AM in Colorado Springs," Jack replied.

"Is the world ending?"

"Not that I know of, Sir… I mean George."

There was a deep sigh at the other end of the line and Jack grinned. Annoying his superiors was so deeply ingrained he just couldn't help himself.

"Then why?"

"Why what sir?"

"Jack…"

"Okay, okay… I had to call you before I lost my nerve."

"Is there something wrong?"

"I need a new job."

There, he'd said it and Jack realised his hands were actually shaking, although that may have been an after effect of the alcohol. George was silent for a long time then he said,

"I happen to know of a position in DC."

"What is it, sir?"

And George told him.

* * *

It had been the worst year of her life.

She had lost her best friend near the beginning, and her father near the end. She had found herself engaged and then unengaged within a matter of months, hurting two good men in the process and almost losing both of them. And yet…

Sam Carter's life had never been simple. Scientist? Theoretical astrophysicist. Soldier? Commander of a top secret military team that travelled to other planets. Blonde? Don't even think about going there. No, her life had never been simple, and she didn't want it any other way.

But the losses along the way were getting harder and harder to accept. The empty places in her life that she had filled with friend and father were empty once more and it hurt.

Tracing her finger around the petals of the roses lying on the grass, she removed a single pink rose from the bunch before arranging them to sit perfectly once again. Janet had loved roses, so Sam always brought some whenever she came to visit. Rising slowly to her feet she dusted off her jeans before beginning the long walk back down the hill. There was one more grave to visit: one that was newer, where the grass was too bright and green to be anything other than new turf recently laid.

Rain was threatening as she approached and she hoped it would stay off for just a few minutes. She didn't have much time left; Jack was waiting in the truck and she'd promised only to be a few minutes. It was an unspoken rule that she never went to the cemetery alone. Daniel usually came with her, offering comfort and support and sharing in her grief. Teal'c had joined them a few times, his silent tears causing them both to cry also. He was mourning his people, warriors fallen in battle, of which he counted Janet as one. And now, Jacob. Jack had never joined them, preferring (if that was the right word) to make his visits alone. He now had three graves to visit.

She crouched down quickly, and placed the single rose next to the black marble headstone. Roses had been her mother's favourite flower too, one of the few things she clearly remembered about her. Sam hated how the years dulled her memories, covering everything with a layer of dust that choked and blinded. But she remembered the roses.

The headstone bore two names. After some discussion with Mark, they had agreed that it was important to have both names on there. He was adding their father's name to their mother's in San Diego. Although some might think it was strange having two graves, it helped them, helped to think of them together. Sam knew that neither of her parents were actually buried there, her father's body having been taken back home by the Tok'ra, but Earth was his home too and he deserved a memorial here as well.

She started when she felt a hand on her shoulder, stood up as he mumbled an apology. She even managed a smile, even if it was a little watery.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself. You OK?"

Sam nodded.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah." She reached out a hand and caught some raindrops. "I think we should run."

He grabbed her hand and they ran towards the truck, avoiding the puddles that were already forming in the heavy rain. After unlocking the doors, Jack climbed into the truck and waited for Sam to join him. And waited. She was still standing outside, letting the rain pour down over her. He let her stand there until she was shivering, and then he braved the storm to open the door and help her inside.

She didn't say a word, just wrapped her arms round herself and tried not to shake too violently. Jack turned up the heat in the truck, but, as the vehicle hadn't moved in a while, the air blowing out hadn't had time to warm up. Within ten minutes (but not without breaking a few traffic laws), they were pulling up outside her house. Sam still didn't make a move, just sat there, tears now joining the raindrops on her face.

Jack gently led her into the house, pushing her towards the bedroom so she could change clothes, before heading into the kitchen to put the kettle on. By the time she emerged from her room, clad in a pair of flannel pyjamas, he had tea and toast waiting for her in the living room. His own soaking wet jacket was draped over the radiator in the hallway, boots and socks perched on top in an attempt to dry them out. The sight of him padding about barefoot in her living room made Sam smile as she walked over to join him on the couch.

"Thank you," she said as she began to eat the toast, giving the tea time to cool.

"No problem. You need anything else?"

She shook her head. They sat in silence for a few minutes, before Sam collected her thoughts enough to explain them to him.

"I was thinking about that mission a few years ago. The one where the Gate was underwater?"

Jack nodded. It was not a pleasant memory.

"I never told you what Daniel and I talked about, did I?"

"No, you never did."

Her smile was wistful as she reached for her tea. "You remember how it all began?"

"I remember getting very wet!"

* * *

/Flashback/

They had just seen off the last of the Jaffa when the Stargate began to spin.

"Take cover!" Jack yelled, and the other members of SG-1 didn't wait to be told twice. Sam and Teal'c dived behind the now-ruined building and took up defensive positions amongst the rubble. Daniel vanished into thin air… or so it appeared. Jack could just about make him out on the other side of the clearing, hiding in the long grass. After taking one last look round to make sure his team were all out of sight, Jack mirrored the position, making a face as the grass tickled his nose.

The Stargate engaged with its usual 'kawoosh!' and four fingers hovered fractionally over the trigger. A lone figure came through the Gate, blinking in the bright sunlight. He was dressed in the traditional garb of the Tok'Ra, and appeared nervous as he glanced from side to side. Jack decided to risk it.

"Stop right there!" Jumping to his feet, Jack trained his gun on the man and began advancing towards him slowly and surely. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Teal'c doing the same, even as Sam and Daniel remained out of sight.

"Colonel Jack O'Neill?"

"May…be." He couldn't help but singsong the word. "And you are…?"

"Don't you recognise me, Jack?"

The Colonel stopped in his tracks, looking the young man up and down. And then it hit him.

"Charlie?"

"It's good to see you, Jack," said the young man, before grabbing him in a quick bear hug.

It took the others a moment before they recognised the child in the man now standing before them. As he smiled shyly at Sam, she grinned back and hugged him tightly. "You're all grown up!"

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, that tends to happen." She stepped back to take a proper look at him, taking in the shoulder length light brown hair, the strength with which he held himself, the gentle smile but worried eyes. Sam watched as he greeted Daniel and Teal'c, hugging them both also. Teal'c did not react as she expected, returning the gesture with unusual emotion. The small boy and his "mother" had affected all of SG-1 all those years ago, and though they had not seen him since his visit to Earth, his spirit had somehow remained with them. Jack had tried to visit on several occasions, but the Tok'ra had always found some sort of excuse: Charlie was getting used to the symbiote, he was away recuperating, and then it changed to him being away on missions. He had grown up quickly, he had had to, and had done it without the help of the first humans he had been in contact with. But, looking at him now, he looked happy, although Sam was concerned about the worry in his eyes.

"So, I bet you're wondering what I'm doing here," Charlie said as he sat himself down on the ground not far from the Stargate.

"You mean it's not just a happy coincidence?"

"No, Jack. Although I am really glad to see you all again. I just wish the circumstances were different." He paused for a moment, and they all recognised that internal struggle peculiar to the Tok'ra. Jack shuddered slightly, and felt a sympathetic from the Major who was sitting next to him on the ground.

"So, what's going on?"

"We need… that is I need your help. I've been working undercover in the court of Kneph for the past few months, mainly just intelligence gathering. But a week ago the locals began to talk of fighting back and overthrowing the Goa'uld who was making their lives a misery. So I helped wherever I could, gave them advice on weapons, tactics and so on. I contacted the Tok'ra High Council and asked for some back up, but there was no-one available to help me. We are spread very thinly these days, Jack, and despite my attempts to persuade them otherwise, the Council saw this as nothing more than an insignificant insurgence, nothing that they were willing to risk lives over."

The Colonel muttered something under his breath that may or may not have been the word "typical". Charlie smiled at him and nodded." My thoughts exactly. I know I am a Tok'ra, but at the moment they are all so concerned with self-preservation they forget that our main goal is to fight, to help people. Your father, Major Carter, is one of the few Tok'ra who still remembers what we are fighting for."

Sam nodded. "Have you heard from him recently?"

"Not for some weeks. I was hoping to be able to get his help with the current situation, but I was told he was incommunicado for the foreseeable future. I'm sure he is well though," he continued quickly, trying to reassure her. Sam smiled in response, although she couldn't shake the worry creeping up the back of her neck. That was nothing new though, as far as her father was concerned.

"So, you contacted the High Council and there was no one available to help you?" prompted Daniel.

Charlie nodded. "So I returned to the planet, only to find that the uprising had already taken place! Tanek, one of the locals I'd been working closely with, told me that an opportunity had presented itself, and they decided to just go for it. Everything went exactly according to plan, and Kneph was overthrown and currently resides in his own dungeon awaiting judgement."

"Then what is the problem?" asked Teal'c as the other members of SG-1 nodded their agreement.

The young man took a deep breath and sighed heavily. "Tanek went on to tell me that as soon as the uprising had taken place, a local dignitary named Kesin decided that he'd just been handed a golden opportunity on a platter."

Angrily getting to his feet, Charlie began to pace back and forth, hands waving as he told the rest of the story. "He stepped in, told people that it had been him who had organised the rebellion, and that he could lead them much better than Ramin, the leader of the freedom fighters whose first plan after the uprising had been to organise local elections. Before they had a chance to disagree, Ramin and the other leaders found themselves next to Kneph in the dungeon, awaiting a trial for 'crimes against the new government' or something similarly lame."

"Is Kesin also a Goa'uld?"

Charlie turned to Teal'c in order to answer his question. "Not as far as I know. I think he just decided that Kneph had been on to a good thing and he saw an opportunity. He had been one of the few that had prospered under the reign of Kneph, and he saw his fortune slipping away from him."

"So he decided to impersonate a God and set himself up for life." Daniel made a face as he spoke, his distaste for anyone who would want to be like the Goa'uld apparent.

Having heard enough, Jack got to his feet. "Right, I'm going to go clear this with Hammond, and then we can move out." He reached out a hand to Sam, and heaved her to her feet as Daniel and Teal'c both rose as well.

"Do you want us to come with you, Jack?" asked Daniel.

The Colonel shook his head. "It's OK, Daniel. I'm just gonna dial it up and discuss it via the MALP. I don't think General Hammond will take much persuading."

"I will accompany you, O'Neill." Teal'c waited for the Colonel's acknowledging nod, and then followed him back in the direction of the Gate and the DHD.

Charlie sighed in relief and sat back down next to Sam. She gave him an encouraging smile. "I'm sure General Hammond will give the go ahead, Charlie."

He nodded. "I hope so. The people of the planet deserve a chance to be free, a chance to be themselves instead of other people's puppets."

"So, is there anything you can tell us about Anubis?" Daniel asked. "We keep coming up against him."

Charlie shrugged. "To be honest, Daniel, I'm pretty much out of the loop on a lot of things. I've been concentrating on minor Goa'ulds like Kneph, working mainly undercover. I'm not too aware of the bigger picture at the moment regarding the System Lords."

Charlie was saved from any further interrogation by Daniel by Jack and Teal'c arriving back from the Gate. Jack nodded firmly in answer to Charlie's unasked question and with no words necessary, they began to get ready to move out.

/Present Day/

"Hammond took no persuading whatsoever, which kinda surprised me."

Sam nodded, and then slowly got up to go make some more tea for herself, and to put on some coffee for the General. She was finding it much easier to call him that in her head now, although she did still stumble over his new title sometimes.

He still seemed ill at ease behind the desk that had belonged to General Hammond. She had seen his fingers tapping on the wood when he was on the phone, felt the frustration emanate from him when an off-world team were in trouble and he couldn't lead the search and rescue mission. Paperwork bored him, mundane issues he didn't care about and sometimes she wondered if he had made the right decision in taking over leadership of the SGC.

Sam finished getting their drinks, and headed back to her living room. Jack was on his cell phone, talking in hushed tones. He stood up abruptly as soon as he heard her come into the room, and she looked at him, raising a concerned eyebrow. He shook his head, gave her a quick smile to reassure her and then wandered out into the hallway where she could no longer hear him. Assuming it was something confidential, probably staff-related, Sam shrugged and settled herself back down with her tea.

Her eye caught Cassandra's most recent letter, lying on the coffee table on top of a pile of Scientific American magazines. She leaned forward, picked it up and read it for the fourth time. It didn't ease her concern for the young girl any more than it had the other three times. There was nothing glaring in there, no cries for help or worries about her studies. But the spark had gone from Cassie. Sam had tried talking to her, but all she got were non-committal teenage answers to her questions. The only enthusiasm in Cassie's voice had been when Sam had suggested they do something together during summer break. She decided to pick up some travel brochures at the next opportunity. And then tell Jack she was going away…

When Jack returned back into the room, he looked different, somehow. She wasn't sure what it was, but it suited him. He came back over to the sofa, sunk down and pulled her towards him, ignoring her protests about the hot tea she was holding. One had grabbed the mug and fumbled it onto the coffee table, and then both arms were around her, holding on so tightly she had to struggle back slightly to get some air in her lungs.

"Jack?"

"Ssh, just come here a minute." And although she was starting to second guess her earlier impression that he had heard good news, she could feel his heartbeat, slow and steady against her own, and it reassured her. His arms loosened their hold and he pulled back to stare at her, before moving in to kiss her. Sam decided she would ask questions later. Much later.

/Flashback/

Charlie had neglected to warn them of a fairly important fact about the planet they were headed to. As Jack stepped through the event horizon and back into the fresh air he found himself distinctly lacking in it. Arms and legs flailed wildly, which had a lucky effect of propelling his body up towards the surface of the water he was submerged in. Gasping and spluttering, he ran a hand through his hair and across his face before continuing to tread water. The rest of SG-1 suffered a similar fate mere seconds behind him, and so he was unable to warn them before they suffered the same fate as he had.

"Everyone OK?" He managed to ask, finally getting his lungs clear of the murky tasting water.

Two "Yeah"s and a "Yes" later he realised Charlie hadn't yet surfaced. Daniel had clearly come to the same conclusion, as he began diving down to look for him. Suddenly there was a flash of light under the water, and the dark shape that was Daniel seemed to disappear into it.

"Oh crap," was all Jack had time to say before they were all sucked down into the water.

What felt like hours later, but was in reality only a few seconds, Jack opened his eyes to find himself in a large underground cavern, surrounded by his bedraggled team.

He asked again, "Everyone all right?" and got a similar response. This time, however, Charlie also responded, from behind him.

Jack turned round slowly, and glared at the grinning young man. "You knew about the water, didn't you?"

"Of course I knew about the water, Jack. I've been here before, remember!"

"And you decided not to mention it why?"

Charlie tried hard to look apologetic. "I didn't think it would be a problem. I had forgotten that the planet I met you on had a different time zone to this one. Normally, at this time of the afternoon, the Gate isn't under water as the tide is low, but I got things mixed up."

Jack shook his head, and managed to spray everyone in the room with water, a fact which seemed to cheer him up. "You're not at all sorry are you?"

Charlie just grinned, and then beckoned towards a door at the end of the cavern. "Ready to make a move, Jack? The Resistance hide out isn't far from here, we can all get some dry clothes and then try and find out what's been happening since I left."

"How long has it been since you were here?" asked Daniel, giving up in his attempts to dry his glasses on his soaking wet BDU shirt and failing miserably.

"4 days," Charlie replied over his shoulder, as he carefully pushed open the door, checked the area beyond and then signalled for them all to follow him.

After several moments of walking in almost complete darkness, another door was opened in front of them, and SG-1 found themselves in another, much smaller room. Charlie felt along the wall, pressing randomly until an audible click was heard, and yet another door opened. This time they all had to crouch down to enter the void beyond.

Once inside, and their eyes had grown accustomed to the semi-darkness, they made themselves as comfortable as possible. Charlie explained that this had been their bolthole during the resistance, and there had been enough supplies stored there (including water) to keep them reasonably comfortably for several weeks.

"Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that," said Sam as she began unpacking her own provisions from her backpack and arranging them next to the other supplies in the room.

"I'm going to go have a look about and see if I can find out anything that's happened since I left." Charlie looked enquiringly at Jack, who nodded and beckoned to Teal'c.

"We'll come with. Carter, Daniel, are you ok to set up 'camp' here?"

"Yes, sir." Sam tried to hide her amusement as her commanding officer squelched his way across the area, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he was still soaking wet, as were the rest of them. She waited, and then decided it was far too good an opportunity to waste. "And sir? Shouldn't you get out of those wet clothes?"

Jack turned back to her, and a solitary drip of water ran down his face, as if to emphasise her point. He raised a hand to wipe it away, and rolled his eyes, mostly at himself. "I think the line is, 'Can I help you out of those wet clothes', Major."

Sam just smirked, and headed over to the furthest away corner of the room to change out of her own wet BDUs. The four men hastily turned the other way, although she could have sworn the Colonel took a fraction longer to completely get round than the others. And she couldn't swear to it in the gloomy darkness, but it looked like he might have winked.

Ten minutes later they were all changed, the male members of the group changing as soon as Sam had, and, in her opinion, making an inordinate amount of fuss about her closing her eyes. She had no idea Daniel was so shy.

Bundling up her wet clothes, she began to repack her backpack, setting out some cooking equipment and sleeping bags at various points round the room. After some investigation of the shelves at one end, she found blankets and some dried food supplies, along with some items she could only assume were weapons of some sort.

"Are you hungry, Sam?" asked Daniel from the other side of the room.

"I hadn't thought about it, but now you mention it, I'm starving!" she replied.

He held up a chocolate bar he'd obviously just removed from his pocket and waved it at her. Smiling, Sam walked over to him, took the chocolate and sat down next to him. They sat in contented silence for a few minutes, listening to the sounds of water gurgling above them, muted through the layers of rock and stone.

"It's great to see Charlie again, isn't it? I never really expected to hear from him again. The Tok'ra aren't exactly great at keeping in touch are they?"

Sam smiled ruefully. "Yeah, I'm lucky if I hear from my dad once every six months."

A hand reached out to cover hers for just a moment, before Daniel answered. "I've never really asked you how you feel about it all. I mean, I know becoming a Tok'ra saved his life, but…" His voice trailed off, as if he was unwilling to voice something bad about her father.

"It's all very strange. Even though Dad and I weren't that close, we still saw each other fairly regularly. I felt bad that Mark wouldn't let him see the kids, and tried to make it up to him somehow. But all we ever did was push each other away, we were polite strangers with nothing to say to the other. And then I found out he had cancer and it all fell apart. I fell apart, and the one thing, the one thing he wanted to see before he died was the one thing I couldn't give him."

Sam had to take a couple of deep breaths to stop the tears from falling, but she managed to control the wave of emotion rising in her. She reminded herself of the happy ending, and it helped.

"I had no idea, Sam. You've never told me this."

"I know, I guess I didn't want anyone to know what was going on. General Hammond knew, and was such a support to me. And we didn't really know each other that well back then. You'd probably just died or something and I didn't want to burden you."

Daniel laughed, and shrugged. "I do that a lot don't I?"

She said nothing, just raised an eyebrow before laughing herself. "Anyway, things are very different now. With Dad, I mean. We don't see each other nearly as often, but it doesn't seem to matter. Even when we're working together and he's being a grumpy old man, I feel closer to him than I ever did."

He nodded. "Can I tell you something?"

"Sure?"

"I've always been a bit afraid of your dad. Selmak is pretty intimidating but General Jacob Carter is something else!"

"He certainly is, Daniel. He really likes you though."

"Really? I always felt he disapproved of me being on a military team."

She thought about it for a moment. "Maybe at first, but he sees you as much a part of SG-1 as the rest of us do."

"You know he asked me about you once? About you and me…"

"What about you and me?"

Before Daniel could answer, their radios crackled, and the Colonel's voice rang out frantically.

"Carter! Daniel! Get out of there fast!"

Both of them scrambled to their feet, Sam grabbing her radio to respond even as she ran towards the door. "What's going on, Sir?"

"No time… opened flood gates…" the transmission was being interrupted, not only from his end, but from theirs too. The sound of rushing water could be heard getting nearer and nearer.

"It sounds like the water's pretty close by, Sam. Be careful opening the door."

Sam nodded her acknowledgement, and began gingerly moving the door towards them. A massive wave rushed in, pushing the door completely open and within moments they were ankle deep. Then knee deep.

The radios fizzled and hissed as the water swirled round their feet, trying to pull them under.

"We have to get out of here, Sam."

She shot him a slightly panicked look. "And go where, Daniel? The water's coming this way, it can only be deeper towards the way we came in."

"You're right. We'll go the other way, maybe find somewhere that's a bit higher ground to wait until it subsides."

She knew it was pretty hopeless, but what other choice did they have? "OK, let's go."

Taking as careful steps as she could, making sure she had solid ground underneath her feet for every step (not an easy task in almost complete darkness and now waist deep water) she began walking along the corridor they found themselves in. The water was steadily rising, but it did seem like they were walking uphill slightly.

"Keep going," yelled Daniel, as she felt him grab onto the back of her jacket. It momentarily unbalanced her, and he let go a little bit. "Sorry, Sam!"

"It's OK." She didn't have any spare breath for more words. And now her teeth were chattering, the water all round them was icy cold.

After what seemed like five minutes of forcing her way through, there was another door in front of her, on the right hand side of the corridor.

"Should I open it?"

"Yes," replied an equally out of breath Daniel.

"OK, here goes." Sam took a deep breath and tried to pull the door open. It wouldn't budge. "Daniel, can you help me? It's too hard to pull against the water."

She felt his hands move round her, and grasp the door handle. They didn't bother counting to three, just pulled with all their might. It moved fractionally, then a little more, and then just enough for them to get through.

Blindly stepping out Sam pitched forward, and grabbed in front of her, catching hold of a ladder just in time. She explained to Daniel about the ladder, and then began to climb. It was a difficult , slippery process, made all the more difficult by her freezing cold hands that kept slipping off the rungs. But they were going up, getting ahead of the water which was now rising less rapidly behind them, Daniel having managed to push the door back as much as possible.

"How far up does this go?" asked Daniel from below her.

"It looks like another twenty metres or so, but it's hard to tell."

Several minutes later, Sam reached the top and found herself facing a hatch similar to those used at the SGC. She reached up and pushed it, nearly falling off the ladder when it gave easily. And tried not to choke as water poured in, over her face, covering her nose and making her eyes sting.

"Sam?"

She spluttered a bit, and shoved the hatch back up. "I'm OK. That is so cold!"

He said nothing, but she knew he was nodding. "So, what now?"

Sam turned round and perched uncomfortably on a rung on the ladder. She carefully held on with one hand, operating her radio with the other. "Colonel? Teal'c? Please respond."

It was faint, but it was there. "Carter? Thank God! Where are you? Is Daniel with you?"

"Colonel, good to hear your voice. Daniel and I are OK…"

"For the moment," interrupted Daniel.

"For the moment. We're in some kind of access shaft, but the water is still rising," Sam continued.

"Have you reached the top of the shaft yet?"

"Yes, Sir. But when I opened the hatch more water came in, so I don't know what's up there. What happened?"

"When we got to the prison where the resistance were being held, we found they were just about to launch another escape attempt. We helped and managed to get them all out. Unfortunately, Kevin's Jaffa opened some sort of floodgate that opened the roof of the cavern and let the surface water in. We barely made it out."

"Maybe the hatch leads to the surface, Sam. If it was some kind of access shaft it has to go somewhere."

"You could be right. Sir, there's no way the water can be drained to let us back out the way we came in?"

The Colonel's response was terse, the worry apparent in his voice. "No way, Carter. And according to Charlie it's only going to get worse, the tide's changing."

She looked down at Daniel, and he nodded firmly. "We have to."

"Sir, Daniel and I are going to attempt to open the hatch again and hope to find our way to the surface."

"Carter, what if it's a blocked tunnel?"

Daniel reached up and took the radio from her shivering fingers. "Jack, the water below us is rising, in ten minutes we're not going to have a choice."

There was silence for a moment. "OK. Good luck, Daniel. Put me back onto Carter, would you?"

He wordlessly handed the radio back to her.

"Sir?"

"Be careful, OK? Just swim for the surface and … God…"

"I will. Wish me luck?"

"Good luck," he whispered. And waited. And prayed to any God he hoped was not false.

* * *

"What were you going to say earlier?" Sam asked.

"When?" Daniel was confused.

"You said Dad had said something to you?"

"Sam, the water's rising, I really don't think now is the time to…"

"Tell me."

He sighed. "OK, well it was a few years ago. He asked me what my intentions were towards you."

Sam was shocked. "He what!"

"I think he thought that you and I were… Well, not that we were but that maybe we were thinking about it."

"Were you thinking about it?"

"No! No offence."

"None taken. So he gave you 'The Talk'!"

"It's not that funny. He tried to, but I made it clear that we were friends, and that I didn't think of you like that. He seemed a little disappointed, and muttered something about having to go speak to Teal'c next."

"You are making that up."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am… ooh that water's freezing!"

Sam stood up and turned herself back round. "It's reached your feet? Then it's time to go."

Daniel climbed up behind her, his feet just one rung down from hers, and briefly wrapped his arms round her. "We go together."

She took a deep breath. "OK, here goes."

* * *

Time seemed to stop under the water. She could feel Daniel's hand in hers, pulling her up towards what they hoped was the surface. There was a light above them, and they swam and kicked desperately towards it, lungs starting to burn slightly from the lack of oxygen. They were so close, and then they collided with something solid. They were underneath a wall of glass, separating them from the surface, preventing them from reaching it.

There were dark shapes moving above them and Sam and Daniel began pounding frantically on the glass, trying to break it, move it, anything. They had no weapons; everything had been left in the chamber when Jack had told them to get out.

Suddenly, the glass seemed to give a little, then there was an almighty crash and they were being hauled out by two sets of strong arms. Gasping and retching, Sam found herself in Teal'c's arms, and he turned her over and rubbed her back to ease her coughing and help her remove the water from her lungs. She managed to look to her right, and saw the Colonel doing the same for Daniel. But his eyes never left her.

/Present Day/

"I really thought I'd lost you. If you hadn't come up where you did..."

"Yeah, it was a bit too close for comfort."

"Charlie was beside the Gate, helping evacuate the other resistance fighters. He felt really bad about putting you in such danger."

"So he kept saying. He's a sweet kid."

"Yeah, for a Tok'ra." He paused. "Knowing you were just out of reach and there was nothing I could do…"

She leaned over and took his face in her hands. "I'm right here, Jack."

"Promise?"

"Always." But neither of them could be sure of that. Yet.

* * *

It was Cassie who requested that they spend extra time together and Teal'c, surprisingly, who suggested they return to the cabin. Although he had yet to develop a love of fishing, he understood the teenager well and knew a little about what she and Sam were going through.

He, too, had lost a parent and knew the feelings that plagued those who had.

No one protested when the idea was suggested and soon the group of five found themselves back at the cabin, with Sam and Jack sitting on the dock while Teal'c and Daniel took Cassandra to the local town to stock up on ice cream, junk food and alcohol – the staple diet whenever the members of SG-1 got together with the teenager.

"Jack."

"Yeah?" He paused mid-cast when she didn't say anything more and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He lowered his hands when he found her staring at him, her expression solemn. "What's up?"

Sam lifted one shoulder in a shrug and glanced out over the pond, smiling faintly when she spotted a turtle swimming by soundlessly. "I think I'm going to take a leave of absence from the SGC. I never realised…" She shrugged again and her features adopted a troubled look. "I neglected Cassie when she needed me most. I got caught up in my own grief, in distancing myself from you… I need to make it up to her and I think I need to take some time myself."

Jack nodded wordlessly. He wasn't surprised. "I think that's a good idea. Take a break, have a rest. It'll do you both some good."

"You don't mind?"

"Why should I?"

"I don't know." She shrugged again, looked uncertain. "Cassie wants to leave the Colorado area. It's summer break; she wants a vacation. I just thought you'd, I don't know, maybe miss me?"

The note of concern in her voice made him put down the rod and twist to face her in his chair. He reached out and brushed a lock of hair from her face, his hand lingering as his fingers trailed over her face. It was time to come clean and tell her the real reason for his distant behaviour over the course of the last few weeks, time to reassure her that it had nothing to do with what her evil twin had put them through.

"I hear DC is a nice place to go over the summer," he said casually, lowering his hand so it came to rest over his. "General Hammond's decided to step down as head of Homeworld security. They asked me to fill in." He saw the surprise on her face, watched it quickly disappear behind a carefully constructed mask. "They said it would be the perfect solution to our problem but I wasn't going to take it if it meant being away from the Springs… and you."

She smiled at that, some of her fears alleviated by the sincerity in his voice and the embarrassed flush rising in his cheeks. "I bet they weren't thrilled with that, especially since we said this wouldn't interfere…"

"Well, actually, the President was quite understanding." He grinned mischievously and gave her fingers a quick squeeze. "I think you may have another admirer in the ranks." His grin widened when her fingers locked around his and held on tight. "He suggested it be a part time thing. Four days a week there, three days off to spend in Colorado. Of course, if you're in DC anyway with Cassie for the first few months…"

They stared at one another, slow identical smiles spreading across their faces. He tugged on her hand until she moved her chair closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders loosely, drawing her closer. It wasn't the best start to their officially official relationship together but at least it was a start of some kind.

For several long, peaceful moments, they just sat in silence, enjoying one another's company, enjoying the new closeness and thanking Thor or whatever being was looking out for them that they'd made it to this point again, surviving the obstacles the universe had to decided to throw at them.

The crunch of gravel under tires on the driveway signalled the return of the others but instead of pulling away as they once would have done, Sam moved a little bit closer and sighed softly when he let his lips brush against the top of her head.

"We're going to have to tell Daniel and Teal'c. They deserve to know what's going on."

"They'll understand," he assured her quietly, momentarily tightening his arm around her shoulders. "Besides, it's not like it's forever. You'll be back and I'll be visiting as much as possible until something more permanent is decided."

"Permanent as in your relocating to DC full time?"

"No." He grinned again; she sensed it more than saw it. "Retirement. Permanently this time. No talking me out of it."

She tensed but said nothing, settling eventually for nodding against him. "What about SG-1? That'll be their first question…"

He thought about it for a few moments, brow furrowing as he tried to place a name to the face of the new guy they had starting at the SGC. "Mitchell. The new guy. It'll be a good learning curve for him."

She chuckled, considering it. It wouldn't be the first time a new member of the SGC had been thrown in at the deep end, she reasoned, remembering her own beginning with the programme – within two weeks she was working with a grumpy Colonel, archaeologist who had lived on a different planet for a year and an alien who barely spoke and at the time never smiled. She'd turned out okay. Ish. "You'll arrange it with your replacement?"

"Consider it done."

"Thank you." She tilted her head back to accept the gentle kiss he bestowed on her and smiled into it when she heard a long suffering sigh from behind them.

"You two really should get a room," Daniel remarked, setting the cooler he and Teal'c carried down on the grassy bank with a grunt.

Cassandra giggled and moved to sit in front of the couple on the dock, quickly stripping her shoes and socks so she could dangle her feet in the cool water. "I think it's sweet," she declared, entranced by the sight of the turtle Sam had spotted earlier swimming passed. "Cool!"

"Would you not also be engaged in relations were Sarah Gardner here, Daniel Jackson?"

Sam grinned and shook her head, sitting up straighter in her chair but maintaining contact with Jack by holding onto his hand. She'd miss them, she realised with a pang and had to remind herself that they would only be temporarily apart.

"Enough of the bickering, kids, we've got an announcement to make." Jack sighed when Daniel's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets and Cassie's head whipped round so fast he was sure it had to hurt, her gaze falling instantly on Sam's hand. "Not that kind of announcement," he added, rolling his eyes. "Yet." He felt Sam's gaze shift to his face speculatively and fought down a blush. "It's about work-related things."

Cassie's face fell and she turned back to the pond. Sam threw him a look that said he was mean but he grinned and shrugged and threw her an answering look that said it was nothing new.

The reaction, he knew, would be worth it, and it was.

Cassie squealed and jumped to her feet, almost falling head over heels into the pond in the process before throwing her arms around Sam. She chattered on excitedly all morning, all afternoon and well into the evening about what they could do, where they would go and, of course, which shops they could run up mile-high credit card bills in.

Daniel and Teal'c's reactions were a little more subdued, happy for their friends, but unsure where it left them, and it was only after a conversation that carried on long into the night that they were assured that it wasn't the end by any means, just a new beginning for them all.

In the early hours of the morning, Daniel and Teal'c retired to the guest house and Cassandra curled up on the couch she insisted would be her bed for the duration of the vacation, ordering the couple to go to bed so she could get some sleep.

They lay on the bed in the master room, arms around one another, sleep alluding them both.

"It'll be okay, won't it?"

The question was asked quietly, so softly he almost missed it. He tightened his hold on her and wound a leg around hers, his hand moving soothingly up and down her back to ease the tense muscles. "It'll be great."

"Promise?"

"Always."

* * *

THE END.

Thanks to everyone who's stuck with the series over the last couple of weeks – we really hope you enjoyed it and appreciate everyone's kind comments J

- Ruthie, Ruth and Jo J


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